Coil type evaporator for refrigerating tanks



March 27, 1934. B. F. KUBAUGH COIL TYPE EVAP ORATOR FOR REFRIGERATING TANKS I Filed April 13, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l B. F Kus/wcw-I March 27, 1934. B. F. KUBAUGH 1,952,553

' COIL TYPE EVAPORATOR FOR REFRIGERATING TANKS Filed April 15, 1933 2 Sheets- Sheet 2 L KuBAuGH Patented Mar. 27, 1934 UNITED STATES COIL TYPE EVAPORATOR FOR REFRIGER- ATING TANKS Benjamin F. Kubaugh, Louisville, Ky., assignor to Henry Vogt Machine 00., Louisville, Ky., a corporation of Kentucky Application April 13, 1933, Serial No. 666,024

8 Claims.

This inventon relates to refrigeration in general, and more particularly to evaporators designed for use in brine cooling systems.

The main object of the invention is to provide I an evaporator of great simplicity of construction J whereby the parts of the evaporator may be made accessible for the purpose of repair or replacement whenever desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide an evaporator of this kind in which the coils are. formed with as few bends as possible in order to present a minimum of friction or resistance to the passage of fluid therethrough and to eliminate, so far as possible, any unnecssary changes in direction of the evaporating fluid in the coil.

A further object of .the invention is to provide an evaporator so constructed as to require a very small temperature difference between the brine subjected to its cooling effect and the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant liquid flowing through the coils of the evaporator.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent as the detailed description thereof proceeds.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an evaporator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the evaporator and of an accumulator connected to the low pressure side of a refrigerating machine;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an evaporator constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated as arranged in a freezing 335 tank, parts of the evaporator coils being omitted and other parts broken away to illustrate details of construction;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective illustrating the connection between the inlet and outlet ends of the evaporator and an accumulator which forms part of this invention; and

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings. and particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the invention comprises an inlet main 1 for any suitable liquid refrigerant, which may be liquid ammonia or its equivalent. The main 1 extends substantially to the center of the evaporator where it is connected to one side of the liquid equalizing header 2. The evaporator,

as illustrated, comprises eleven sections vertically arranged on any suitable supporting base, as the floor of a tank, and substantially parallel with each other.

The first section starts from the nearest end of the equalizing header 2, shown in Figure 2, with a manifold 3. As shown in the drawings, each section comprises nine pipes of inverted L-shape nested one above the other in substantially the same vertical plane above the manifold 69 3. The vertical branches 4, 5, 6, 7, 3, 9, 10, 11 and 12 of these nine pipes increase in length as they recede from the equalizing header but are arrangedin the same plane with the manifold 3.

The pipes 4 to 12, inclusive, extend upwardly from the manifold 3 and then are bent to extend parallel to each other toward the inlet end-of the evaporator and at a slight upward inclination. The other ends of these. pipes are connected to the vertical header 13, which is connected at its 7 upper end by an elbow joint 14 to a substantially horizontal pipe 15. A gas equalizing header 16 extending substantially vertically over the liquid equalizing header 2 and parallel therewith is connected by the pipe 15 to the upper end of the header 13. The header 13 constitutes a means for maintaining the right hand end of the pipes 4 to 12, inclusive, in the same plane.

As will be seen from Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, the manifolds on opposite sides of the liquid equalizing header 2, are connected to. said header in staggered relation. For example, the manifold 26 of the second section of the evaporator is shown in several figures of the drawings as arranged out of alignment with the manifold 3 86 of the first section and as extending in the opposite direction from the header.

The pipes 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 extend upwardly from the manifold 26 and are bent at successively increasing heights above the manifold 26 to form the branches of the second section slightly inclined to thehorizontal and extending to the left hand end of the evaporator for connection to the header 36 of the second section. The sections are built up in this manner in any desired number in accordance with the capacity desired.

The upper end of the header 36 is connected by a pipe 37 to the gas equalizing header 16 which, at its center, is provided with an outlet 38 connected by pipes 39 and 40 to an accumulator 41. As shown in the drawings, the pipes 15 and 37 connecting the headers 13 and 36, respectively, of the first and second sections are connected to the gas equalizing header out of alignment with each other. The various sections, of any de-.- sired number, are thus connected in staggered relation with each other, not only to the equalizing header 2, but also to the gas equalizing head- The number of sections in the evaporator may I be multiplied as desired in order to provide the necessary refrigerating surface for any given capacity of the plant. Obviously, the lengths of the various sections may be varied to suit conditions under which the evaporator is intended to be used. In like manner, the number of units vertically disposed and comprising one section of the evaporator may be varied from the number ,(nine) referred to on page 1, line 62. In any case, the evaporator is so constructed that the manifolds on opposite sides of the liquid equalizing header and the sections connected thereto are arranged in staggered relation to each other. This also applies to the connection of the pipes between the vertical headers of alternate sections and the gas equalizing header 16.

It will be obvious from inspection of the drawings that as the liquid refrigerant passes through the several manifolds to the various pipes connected thereo, it vaporizes and travels upwardly at a slight inclination to the horizontal until it reaches vertical headers at each end of the unit; and from these vertical headers is conducted through the gas equalizing header to the accu mulator at the low side of the refrigerating machine. q

The various flange unions interposed in the manifolds and pipes at the lower and upper parts of the evaporator are merely used as a matter of precaution to facilitate correction of any leaks which might occur in the coils. It is not necessary that these flange unions be used, the evaporator may be finished with the parts thereof connected to each other as a completely welded unit.

In order to reduce the number of manifolds at the lower part of the evaporator and pipes at the upper part of the evaporator, it is quite feasible to unite the vertical headers at each end of the evaporator to each other by means'of short horizontal headers at the top and bottom and then connect these short headers to the liquid and gas equalizing headers at the center of the unit. With this construction only two pipes may be used to connect the vertical headers at opposite ends of the unit to the equalizing headers at the center.

The accumulator 41 is a device of the vertical tower type disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 650,168, filed April 1, 1933. In this device the gas flowing from the gas equalizing header 16 through the pipe 40 to the accumulator is diverted to drop downward in the accumulator.- The entrained liquid in the gas is thus returned from the bottom of the accumulator 41 through the pipe 42 to the main 1 which is connected to the center of the liquid equalizing header 2.

The refrigerant liquid is fed through the pipe 43 which is connected by pipes 44, 45 and 46 to a float controlled expansion valve 47 connected to the casing of the accumulator at its lower end by a pipe 48 and at its upper end by a pipe 49. Suitable valves 50, 51, 52 and 53 are arranged in the circuit of the pipes referred to for the purpose of cutting out the float controlled expansion valve whenever it becomes necessary or desirable to do so.

The apparatus is provided with a bypass circuit adapted to conduct refrigerant liquid to the accumulator casing under manual control when the automatic float controlled expansion valve is cut out. This manual control comprises a pipe 54 connected at one end to the pipe 43 by a T- joint 55. At its other end, the pipe 54 is connected to the pipe 56, and this pipe 56 in turn is connected through the manually controlled expansion valve 5'7 and pipe 58 to the pipe 48 which connects the valve 53 to the accumulator 41. The accumulator 41 is provided at its bottom with a purge valve 59 and at its upper end with a valve controlled outlet 60 for the return of gas to the low pressure side of the refrigerating machine (not shown).

The evaporator described with its accumulator is thus a self-contained unit. Any number of these units may be arranged around the tank T and operated in parallel from the refrigerating machine. In Figure 3 of the drawings, the evaporator is shown in the tank as arranged in a compartment formed by walls of the tank and a bulkhead B.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, or sacrificing any of its attendant advantages; the form herein described being a preferred embodiment for the purpose of illustrating my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header substantially parallel to'the lower header, a plurality of manifolds extending horizontally in staggered relation to each other from opposite sides of and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on opposite sides of the lower header, a plurality of groups of pipes extending between and communicating with said manifolds and vertical headers, each group comprising a plurality of inverted L-shaped superimposed pipes extending between and in communication with one of said manifolds and one of said vertical headers in the same vertical plane as said manifold, and pipes connecting the upper ends of the vertical headers to opposite sides of the gas equalizing header.

2. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header substantially parallel to the lower header, a plurality of manifolds extending horizontally in staggered relation to each other from opposite sides of and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on opposite sides of the lower header, a plurality of groups of pipes extending between and communicating with said manifolds and vertical headers, each group comprising a plurality of inverted L-shaped superimposed pipes extending between and in communication with one of said manifolds and one of said vertical headers in the same vertical plane as said manifold, pipes connecting the upper ends of the vertical headers to opposite sides of the gas equalizing header, an accumulator, and pipes connecting the accumulator to the said upper and lower headers.

3. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header directly over and substantially parallel to the lower header, manifolds extending horizontally from and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on the side of the lower header remote from said manifolds and in substantially the same vertical planes as the manifolds,

pipes connecting each manifold to the vertical header in the same vertical plane and lying in the same vertical plane, and pipes extending toward the liquid equalizing header and connecting the upper ends of said vertical headers to the gas equalizing header.

4. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header directly over and substantially parallel to the lower header, manifolds extending horizontally from and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on the side of the lower header remote from said manifolds and in substantially the same vertical planes as the manifolds, inverted L-shaped pipes connecting each manifold'to the vertical header in the same vertical plane, said pipes being superposed and nested one above the other in the same vertical plane as the manifold and vertical header connected thereto, and pipes extending toward the \liquid equalizing header and connecting the upper ends of the vertical headers to the gas equalizing header.

5. In a refrigeration machine, a lower-substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header directly over and substantially parallel to the lower header, manifolds extending horizontally from and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on the side of the lower header remote from said manifolds and in substantially the same vertical planes as the manifolds, pipes connecting each manifold to the vertical header in the same vertical plane and lying ini'the same vertical plane, and pipes extending toward the liquid equalizing header and connecting the upper ends of said vertical headers to the gas equalizing header, an accumulator and pipes connect: ing the accumulator to the said upper and lower equalizing headers.

6. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header directly over and substantially parallel to the lower header, manifolds extending horizontally from and at igight angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on the side of the lower header remote from said manifolds and in substantially the same vertical planes as the manifolds, inverted L- shaped pipes connecting each manifold to the a vertical header in the same vertical plane, said pipes being superposed and nested one above the other in the same vertical plane as the manifold and vertical header connected thereto, and pipes extending toward the liquid equalizing header and connecting the upper ends of the vertical headers to the gas equalizing header, an accumulator and pipes connecting the accumulator to the said upper and lower equalizing headers.

= 7. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an upper gas equalizing header substantially parallel to the lower header, a plurality of manifolds extending horizontally in staggered relation to each other from opposite sides of and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on opposite sides of the lower header, a plurality of groups of pipes extending between and communicating with said manifolds and vertical headers, each group comprising a plurality,of pipes extending between and in communication with one of said manifolds\and one of said vertical headers in the same vertical plane as said manifold, and pipes connecting the upper ends of the vertical headers to opposite sides of the gas equalizing header.

8. In a refrigeration machine, a lower substantially horizontal liquid equalizing header, an

. upper gas equalizing header substantially par--.

allel to the lower header, a plurality of manifolds extending horizontally in staggered relation to each other from opposite sides of and at right angles to the lower header, vertically disposed headers arranged on opposite sides of the lower header, a plurality of groups of pipes extending between and communicating with said manifolds and vertical headers, each group comprising a plurality of pipes extending between and in communication with one of said manifolds and one of said vertical headers in the same vertical plane as said manifold, pipes connecting the upper ends of the vertical headers to opposite sides 'of the gas equalizing header, an accumulator, and pipes connecting the accumulator to the said upper and lower headers.

BENJAMIN F. KUBAUGH. 

